Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-02-06
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The longing 70 possess it is never %
great, a. shen IL e jast beyond our IN
eers' tips-Vhen We can touch IL but
cannot Gloss our hands upon IL. 0ne
ezn. thersfore, appreciate ths misery Of
he AIashan 81 Il muFmars the following
lament:
ThefmometsE standing at Is degrees
and about six inches Of enow on the
ground. This 70 very severe for Sitka.
We could have fac sieixhing II re only
had horses and slsighs.
In Alaska, thsn, - elsewhere In this
world OF ours, this miserable 'sIf" IL the
evil genius Of language. Il h the bar.
Fier over which men cannot leap TO the
qualification Of their desires. IL is the
dividing line between the ''is' and thu
"would be-" Iis two poor letters
are the CITES between the
real and the idsal-eatss Which are
nevsF sjw. which never swing open,
which are closed together and held fasi
By lock whose combination no mortal
has ever been able 10 discover.
The desire TO press forward, the
desire 10 advance, whether il be moral.
u, physically OF intellectually, 10 To-
grained In the very nature Of humanity
There IL always barrier between ttt
real and the ideal between the land IN
which the mortal dwslls std
that IN which be would dwell
The infant in It's cradle with
eyes yet 900 weak 10 bear the light
Of day discovers this barrier a. Il
reaches out lbs tiny arms TO grasp the
moon or endeav0rs to possess itself Of
the uncertain starlight Il realizes thai
there Is barrier between Il and the
realization Of It's hopes and 10 walls oul
its passing grief. little knowing that Il
is vailinR At the discovery Of forcs
against which IL must struggle, against
which II mast wage ceaseIess var, until
its eyes. nov 90 feeble. have borne the
light and heat Of .ife's blazing fur.
mace and even until kindly nature has
separated them from the light BY The
film Of age. Toe infants vail is the
vail Of all life.
The youth sees the barrier which the
infant has discovered from It's cradle
He sees 1t and, hot for the ha tile Of life,
be throws himself against Il. Determined
that 10 him, ct least, IL shall not be q
barrier which the mortal shall not pasr.
II his mind be strong and hiz
heart be stronger, be will co.,
tinue to battle against the power which
opposes him until the limbs which
we're ones 90 strong. are weak and
palsied, until the heart ones 90 brave,
sounds in its beating 3 requiem for the
hopes that we're. His life may be de-
voted 10 the pursuit Of knowledge. Il
May BE- 10 the pursuit Of wealth. BE
may wear the warriors planes aud
ssrueale fos the warriors stars. he may
endeavoF 10 lead his fellow men and to
leave q name that shall never be for
cotton. To his fellow men il may seem
THAI he 10 marching Onward 70 the re-.
alixstion OF bis hopes With Q stride
which opposition cannot oppose. But,
however far be may seem 10 have jour
MED toward Abe attainment Of his ideal,
his eyes ere they Gloss for the last time
see the barrier still bsfors him, and
when be lies dozen il 10 on the same
side Of the barrier - be lay years be-
fore. moaning infant. Tbs ideal seems
~ near 10 him a. II did when he reached
oas to grasp the starlight. Bot be is
stiIl amid the real. and that impenetra-
Die II IL still jast before him. His dying
lips may narmuF, -If I haa dose this
or shat-if I had sought knowledge In
that other dirsction-if my blade aAd
been = lissle sharper. my aim q little
tFusr--if the foundation upon which !
reared the structure Of my life work had
been q little more Arm-I might hPve
bssn the hAppiess Of mortals" Bat that
II has never besn passed. Tbs nan Of
destiny may ssem y boand over IL a.
AusteFliiz, bot At Watssleo be lies
crushed before q. and On . stormy night
a. 81 Helena, his eyes, wsarisd With BE-
holding u. close forever. And AL the
woEld wonders al the Gall Of the strone
mAn before the II.
what . quaint little word Il ID. this
@if." which seems 80 light and tsinine
that an infant can brush Il aside, bat
which Is yet 60 ssrOue that 10 man has
ever been able 10 for se his vay through
hi From The very barriers Of Eden.
whsrs it stood 10 the esiss Of the angel
Who forbade our 6rst parents rs-sn-
trance into the paradise which they had
Iast. Il hiss ecme Down 30 ns. changing
With uea and races bat Alvass presant.
oaaict and strange. bat sim firm. i'm
penetrable. inmosahie. Il Stood - ~
before eur AnRio-Ssxoa fsrefalhsrA IL
was because Of Il that the boar esosped
in The forest. that the thans persisted 10
bis strosshoia. that . HssoId foand .
II stings; aud further bask. when The
ara CLEANS Of European etvilizAtion
vsrs YET 10 Be seen. q uas The ~ Of The
cd FEissians, the % a he Goshs and
The ~ at The cd Germans. who foaehs
With Cesar for The possession Of GAul
To eli % thsm % was fatal word- Il
saAnds in their history - : barrier Of
wonaroaa sarengsa. Baa for IL Ro@s
woasa have fallen before Marias was
Aosn. and she world's history wsald
have been Anosher sioxy.
Today Is sxists IN fhs stress. decisiSs
Gsrunn rrsa. o. IL tie smooth and e.
pAoaius hat sasAlly tnpsas.rabls n